Feyenoord coach Arne Slot cautions Liverpool about a potential Southampton upset, urging focus ahead of a crucial week for the Reds.
Arne Slot mentioned that he cannot let himself be distracted by Liverpool’s upcoming matches against Real Madrid and Manchester City, as the injury-ridden Premier League leaders are set to face Southampton on Sunday.
Slot has had an impressive beginning to his tenure with the Reds, securing victory in 15 of their first 17 matches across all competitions.
This has lifted Liverpool to a five-point advantage over City at the top of the Premier League and placed them at the summit of the newly formatted Champions League.
“It would be unusual for me to say I’m not enjoying our current position, but we also recognize that we’re only 11 league games in; there are still many games left,” said Slot during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
A visit to bottom-of-the-table Southampton seems like the perfect warm-up for two major clashes: Madrid’s trip to Anfield on Wednesday, followed by a showdown with City on December 1.
However, Slot is cautious about the threat posed by the Saints. Despite often dominating possession since their return to the top-flight, they have struggled to capitalize on it.
Slot added, “We certainly have some incredible fixtures coming up, beginning with Southampton.”
“Even though everyone might think it’s easy because they’re at the bottom of the league, it won’t be. Southampton doesn’t play like a typical last-place team and has challenged teams in the top three or four.”
Their style of play is captivating, making their games a delight to watch.
Trent Alexander-Arnold might be fit to play against Madrid, although he is not expected to recover from his hamstring injury in time for this weekend. Meanwhile, Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota are still unavailable.
Liverpool’s title contenders got a significant boost this week with Pep Guardiola extending his contract as Manchester City’s manager until 2027.
Slot openly admires the former coach of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, who has guided City to six Premier League titles over the last seven seasons.
“That’s great news for City, primarily, and also positive for the league because I believe everyone wants to see the top managers and players here,” said Slot.
Conversely, City has such a wealth of talented players that even if he decided to leave the team, I wouldn’t anticipate them being at the bottom of the league next season.
